Liquid spraying devices

ABSTRACT

A liquid spraying device of the plunger tube type in which a knob on a plunger tube can be depressed to cause the liquid to be sprayed through a nozzle. The plunger tube is surrounded by a piston which it entrains and which is movable in a chamber to expel the liquid through the tube. The tube has orifices in its wall which communicate with the interior of the piston and with the chamber through a valve. The piston has a portion which is elastically and transversely deformable and which in the inoperative condition closes the orifices and also closes the space communicating with the chamber through the valve.

United States Patent Boris LIQUID SPRAYING DEVICES lnventor:

Assignee:

Paris, France Aug. 10, 1972 Filed:

App]. No.:

Int. Cl

Michel Boris, Paris, France Foreign Application Priority Data France7130273 Societe Technique de Pulverisation,

US. Cl. 239/333, 222/321 A62c 11/02 Field of Search 239/329, 331, 333;

[5 6] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Pfeiffer et al.

3,331,559 7/1967 Fcdit 239/333 3,257,961 6/1966 Schlenkerm. 222/321 X3,583,605 6/1971 Corsette 222/383 3,414,169 12/1968 C0rsette... 222/321Primary ExaminerAllen N. Knowles Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Eyre, Mann &Lucas 5 7] ABSTRACT A liquid spraying device of the plunger tube type inwhich a knob on a plunger tube can be depressed to cause the liquid tobe sprayed through a nozzle. The plunger tube is surrounded by a pistonwhich it entrains and which is movable in a chamber to expel the liquidthrough the tube. The tube has orifices in its wall which communicatewith the interior of the piston and with the chamber through a valve.The piston has a portion which is elastically and transverselydeformable and which in the inoperative condition closes the orificesand also closes the space communicating with the chamber through thevalve.

7 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures LIQUID SPRAYING DEVICES This inventionrelates to liquid spraying devices. A liquid spraying device of the kindwith which the present invention is concerned is disclosed in UK.

Specification No. 1,008,612. This Specification shows a plunger-tubevaporiser which is fully sealed in the inoperative condition and whichcomprises two obturating elements connected operationally to one and thesame control element and arranged, one between the front of the tube andthe vaporiser nozzle, and the other in a passage which providescommunication with the atmosphere for the vessel containing the liquidbeing vaporised, biasing means being used to bias these elements intotheir closed positions.

In an embodiment described more particularly in the Specificationreferred to, this vaporiser comprises a pumping chamber connected to theplunger tube through the medium of a non-return valve, a piston slidablyassembled in said chamber, a tube slidably assembled in said pistonconnected thereto by a lostmotion link so that when the tube is axiallydisplaced, it entrains the piston after travel, a control knobcomprising a nozzle communicating with the tube and designed to displacesame when depressed, a valve carried by that end of the tube opposite tothe end at which the knob is located and arranged to be applied againstthe seat formed at the end of the piston, the tube comprising in theneighbourhood of said end at least one orifice opening into the interiorof the piston, and a spring arranged between the valve and the base ofthe chamber which spring, on the one hand tends to apply the valveagainst its seat and on the other hand to place the piston in a restposition in which it closes off an opening through which the vesselcontaining the liquid for vaporising communicates with the atmosphere.

To use this vaporiser, the tube is displaced against the action of thespring, by means of the knob. The valve immediately lifts from its seatplacing the pumping chamber in communication with the nozzle; then, thepiston is driven in turn, so that the liquid in the chamber is deliveredto the nozzle which atomises it.

If the tube is displaced slowly, the delivery pressure is initially verysmall and the atomising is poor; it is even possible that the liquid mayexit from the nozzle in the form of an unatomised jet. The same drawbackcan occur at the end of the atomising operation, when the user ceasesthe pressure on the knob.

It is an object of the invention to provide an improvement in thevaporiser of the kind disclosed in the Specification referred to whichis designed to overcome this drawback.

In accordance with the present invention, the piston comprises a portionwhich is transversely and elastically deformable and which, in theinoperative condition, closes off the orifice or orifices provided inthe neighbourhood of the end of the tube, and closes a spacecommunicating with the chamber through the medium of the valve.

Under these conditions, when the tube carrying the valve is displaced,the valve lifts from its seat but the communication between the pumpingchamber and the tube, and thus with the nozzle, remains interruptedbecause the deformable part of the piston closes off the communicatingorifice or orifices.

When the pressure in the pumping chamber reaches a sufficient level todistort said portion, the communicating orifices are uncovered and theliquid then arrives at the nozzle with a sufficient pressure to achievecorrect atomising.

At the end of the movement, the delivery pressure drops; the deformableportion regains its initial shape and pulverisation stops suddenly, withno risk of the liquid Spurting out of the nozzle.

In the following, by way of a non-[imitative example, an embodiment ofan improved vaporiser in accordance with the present invention has beendescribed making reference to the attached drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is an axial sectional view of the pump of the vaporiser, the lefthand half showing it in the inoperative position its right hand halfshowing it in the delivery position;

FIG. 2 is a transverse section on the line 11-11 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of a detail of the pump, in the case wherethe delivery pressure is insufficient to deform the piston, and;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view on a larger scale of the piston and the pumpchamber, on the line IV-IV of FIG. 1.

As shown in the drawings a pump chamber 4 is connected to a plunger tube5 through the medium of a non-return valve 6, and in which a piston 7 isslidably assembled. A tube 9 is slidably assembled within the pistonwith a predetermined longitudinal clearance e and at its internal endcarries a valve 10 which can be applied against a seat 13 formed at theend of the piston 7. The tube 9, in the proximity of the valve 10,contains orifices 15 designed to place the pump chamber 4 incommunication with the tube 9. A spring 11 arranged between the valve 10and the base of the chamber 4, biases the valve on its seat.

That portion of the piston 7 which is fitted on the tube 9 and can slidethereon against heavy frictional re sistance through the distance ewhich is limited by a shoulder 9a of the tube 9, has portions 7a ofreduced thickness and orifices 15 are formed in the tube 9 opposite saidportions 7a. A clearance 65 is provided between the tube 9 and theportion 7b of the piston which links said reduced portions 7a with thepiston proper.

When the tube 9 is displaced, the valve 10 lifts from its seat and theliquid cannot flow from the pump chamber 4 to the tube 9 because thereduced portions 7a are applied over the orifices 15 (FIG. 3).

When the clearance 2 has been taken up, the tube 9 entrains the piston 7which exerts pressure on the liquid contained in the chamber 4. Theliquid pressure is exerted upon the reduced portions 7a; when thispressure is sufficiently high, said reduced portions move transverselyaway from the orifices I5, uncovering them and allowing the liquid toflow to the nozzle at a pressure which has at least one determinedvalue, this being a function of the flexibility of the portions 7a. Itshould be observed that during this operation, the thick partsseparating the thin parts 7a, prevent longitudinal distortion of thepiston and a variation in the interval existing between the valve 10 andits seat 13. Atomising takes place as the piston 7 descends and deliversthe liquid to the tube 9. At the end of the movement, the pressure inthe chamber 4 drops and the reduced portions 7a return to close off theorifices l5 and cut off the delivery of liquid to the nozzle as soon asthe delivery pressure reaches a certain value.

During the first utilisation, the air contained in the pumping chamber 4is compressed as the piston descends. It could happen that the pressureof this air is insufficient to cause the reduced portions 7a to lift;there would then be no discharge of air from the nozzle and the pumpwould not prime. To avoid this drawback, the wall of the pump chamber 4contains internal bosses 4a at the lower end (FIG. 4). These bossesdistort the piston 7 creating passages 66 which enable the air to escapefrom the chamber 4.

It goes without saying that the invention is in no way limited to theembodiment described and illustrated,

Y and in fact extends to all the possible variant embodiments.

What we claim as our invention and desire to secure by letters patent ofthe united states is:

1. A liquid spraying device comprising a passage which can extend into avessel for the liquid to be sprayed, a pumping chamber connected to thepassage through a non return valve, a piston slidable in the chamber, atube slidable in the piston and adapted to move and entrain the piston,a valve mounted on the end of the tube in the chamber and engaging aseat formed on the piston, at least one orifice in the tube adjacent oneend thereof and opening into the interior of the piston, means forbiasing the valve against the seat and for closing an opening throughwhich the vessel communicates with the atmosphere, the piston having aportion which is transversely and elastically deformable and which inthe inoperative position closes off the orifice and closes a spacecommunicating with the chamber through the valve, that portion of thepiston which is fitted over the tube having portions of reducedthickness opposite which the at least one orifice is located.

2. A liquid spraying device as claimed in claim 1, in

which the piston is connected to the tube through a lost motion linkwhereby the tube entrains the piston after the tube has travelled apredetermined distance.

3. A liquid spraying device as claimed in claim 1 in which the tubecarries a control knob comprising a nozzle communicating with the tubeand adapted to depress the tube.

4. A liquid spraying device as claimed in claim 1 in which the means forbiasing the valve against its seat and for closing the opening comprisesa spring arranged between the valve and the base of the chamber.

5. A liquid spraying device, which comprises:

a. a pumping chamber;

b. a piston slidable in the chamber having a seat at one end thereof andhaving a portion which is transversely and elastically deformable; and

c. a tube slidable in the piston and operative to move and entrain thepiston, the tube having at least one orifice therein adjacent one endthereof and opening into the interior of the piston, the deformableportion of the piston being operative to selectively open and close theorifice.

6. A liquid spraying device according to claim 5, further comprising:

a. a valve mounted on the end of the tube in the chamber and engagingthe piston seat, a space being provided between the seat and the valvecommunicating with the chamber, the space being closed when the tube isin a first position; and

b. means for biasing the valve against the piston seat and for openingthe space between the valve and the seat when the tube is in a secondposition.

7. A liquid spraying device according to claim 6 wherein the deformableportion of the piston is operative to selectively open and close theorifice when the tube is in the second position.

1. A liquid spraying device comprising a passage which can extend into avessel for the liquid to be sprayed, a pumping chamber connected to thepassage through a non return valve, a piston slidable in the chamber, atube slidable in the piston and adapted to move and entrain the piston,a valve mounted on the end of the tube in the chamber and engaging aseat formed on the piston, at least one orifice in the tube adjacent oneend thereof and opening into the interior of the piston, means forbiasing the valve against the seat and for closing an opening throughwhich the vessel communicates with the atmosphere, the piston having aportion which is transversely and elastically deformable and which inthe inoperative position closes off the orifice and closes a spacecommunicating with the chamber through the valve, that portion of thepiston which is fitted over the tube having portions of reducedthickness opposite which the at least one orifice is located.
 2. Aliquid spraying device as claimed in claim 1, in which the piston isconnected to the tube through a lost motion link whereby the tubeentrains the piston after the tube has travelled a predetermineddistance.
 3. A liquid spraying device as claimed in claim 1 in which thetube carries a control knob comprising a nozzle communicating with thetube and adapted to depress the tube.
 4. A liquid spraying device asclaimed in claim 1 in which the means for biasing the valve against itsseat and for closing the opening comprises a spring arranged between thevalve and the base of the chamber.
 5. A liquid spraying device, whichcomprises: a. a pumping chamber; b. a piston slidable in the chamberhaving a seat at one end thereof and having a portion which istransversely and elastically deformable; and c. a tube slidable in thepiston and operative to move and entrain the piston, the tube having atleast one orifice therein adjacent one end thereof and opening into theinterior of the piston, the deformable portion of the piston beingoperative to selectively open and close the orifice.
 6. A liquidspraying device according to claim 5, further comprising: a. a valvemounted on the end of the tube in the chamber and engaging the pistonseat, a space being provided between the seat and the valvecommunicating with the chamber, the space being closed when the tube isin a first position; and b. means for biasing the valve against thepiston seat and for opening the space between the valve and the seatwhen the tube is in a second position.
 7. A liquid spraying deviceaccording to claim 6 wherein the deformable portion of the piston isoperative to selectively open and close the orifice when the tube is inthe second position.